Miller Questions Secretary Kennedy on Chronic Disease Prevention, Nutrition Therapy, and Kidney Care Innovation

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) and her colleagues on the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee were joined by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for a hearing to discuss the priorities and policy proposals from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) under the Trump Administration. Congresswoman Miller shared concerns about the disproportionate burden of chronic disease in rural states like West Virginia and emphasized the importance of prevention-focused care, particularly through expanded access to medical nutrition therapy, as well as the need to ensure Medicare policies support innovation and access to life-saving treatments for patients with kidney disease.

Congresswoman Miller began by highlighting West Virginia's high rates of chronic disease and her specific advocacy for patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). She voiced her concerns regarding the lack of innovation and development of new treatments for dialysis patients. She then highlighted legislation she recently introduced to address this concern before questioning Secretary Kennedy on the ways in which DHHS is encouraging innovation for ESRD treatment.

"Thank you, Chairman Smith. Secretary Kennedy, thank you so much for coming in front of our committee today and for your leadership in improving the health and well-being of the American people. I have two things I would like to discuss.

In my home state of West Virginia, we see some of the highest rates of chronic disease in the country. Coupled with our rural nature and limited access to care, many of these patients are especially vulnerable and face significant barriers to managing their conditions.

The first chronic disease that I want to speak about is our patient population that I am focusing on, which is people who are living with Chronic Kidney Disease and End Stage Renal Disease.

I commend the Administration's efforts to promote affordability and fiscal responsibility in healthcare. I am concerned, however, that in the case of kidney disease, the current ESRD bundle may inadvertently discourage the development [and] adoption of new therapies and technologies that could improve outcomes and reduce long-term costs for patients who do rely on life-sustaining dialysis.

The complicated "post-TDAPA" policy has resulted in promising, innovative drugs being pulled from the market entirely or only being accessible by a tiny fraction of the patients.

I have a bill called the Kidney Care Access Protection Act, and it is a piece of legislation that could expand access to new treatment options in a way that both encourages innovation and ensures costs remain well-managed for Medicare and taxpayers.

As we work together toward better outcomes and cost containment, how is CMS evaluating ways to strengthen incentives for innovation within the [ESRD] bundle while maintaining fiscal responsibility?" asked Congresswoman Miller.

"I mean, I would say that that's the balance that we're all trying to achieve. We are doing everything in our power to maintain the United States as the innovation center for the world. And we want to make it easier to get quick approvals for drugs that actually work. We need to do science on them. And we're doing gold-standard science. And we have to depoliticize science at the agencies.

I don't know enough about the Renal Disease aspect in the bundle, but I'm happy to work with you. Also get somebody from Oz's team to come over and talk to you directly, because I know that that's not an outcome that they would like," responded Secretary Kennedy.

Congresswoman Miller concluded by sharing her views on the benefits of Medical Nutrition Therapy to combat chronic health issues stemming from poor nutrition. She then questioned Secretary Kennedy on his views of this practice and the ways in which the DHHS can support better access to this therapy for Medicare beneficiaries in rural communities.

"It is clear that what we eat plays a direct role in our health and quite frankly, many Americans don't eat right, and these poor nutrition choices are a major driver of chronic disease. I believe there is a strong case for expanding access to MNT therapy for targeted and specific groups of Medicare beneficiaries whose outcomes could measurably improve as a result.

With that in mind, can you share your perspective on the role Medical Nutrition Therapy should play in improving health outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries, and how we can most effectively and responsibly expand [access] to those who would benefit the most-particularly in rural and underserved areas?" asked Congresswoman Miller.

"I think, and I've worked with Governor Morrisey about that on this issue. I think there's nobody at this agency who is not committed to the idea that food is medicine. And if we want to do prevention in this country and end the chronic disease epidemic, we've got to start with food. That's one of the reasons we're pushing nutrition into the colleges, we're pushing it into the hospitals, we're pushing it into the community health centers, to make it the central focus of healing and prevention. I want to work with you in any way that I can to achieve the goals that you're talking about," responded Secretary Kennedy.

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